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Trap Out

Not sure what is going on with my first trap out. This tree had lots of bees a few months ago.

I taped up the hole with plastic, filled in some small holes with silicone, and had my tunnel installed. Put the deep nuc on the tunnel and had frames in it for bees to start building on it they were so inclined. Had one frame of comb as well. All the bees started easily using the nuc entrance as the new hive entrance.

The bees completed the deep frame and filled it out as well as 2 mediums and were building on the other two. I pulled the nuc one day, stole the bees that were in it (about a quart size bundle) and placed them in a double nuc from a cut out that was fairly small. Used the newpaper combine method and they are happy in the new home.

I removed the comb as well, and installed a frame of empty comb as well as 2 mediums of capped brood, larvae, and a few eggs. I also notched some of the cells on the bottom edge of the comb hoping they would produce a few queen cells. Left that there for 3 days with my wire restrictor funnel attached to the tunnel from the tree, so anything coming out should be stuck out in the nuc.

Pulled the nuc again today, again only about 1 quart of bees, and some of these are newly hatched from the frames of capped brood. The bees were really confused and it was easy to see they could not get thru the wire funnel to enter back into the tree.

Will be pulling it again on sunday and have to seal up the tree. They don't want the bees in that tree. Is there anything else I can do to get the few remaining bees and maybe the queen? I know that all the youngest larvae and all the eggs I placed in the nuc are now gone.

Could this hive be queenless or maybe really reduced in numbers because of the dreath?